At the tip of the southern point of Casco Viejo, this beautiful plaza pays homage to the French role in the construction of the canal. Its large stone tablets and statues are dedicated to the memory of the 22,000 workers who died trying to create the canal.

Most of the workers died from yellow fever and malaria. Among the busts is a monument to the Cuban doctor Carlos J Finlay, whose discovery of how mosquitoes transmit yellow fever led to the eradication of the disease.

But on this solemn day, it is to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris that the Place de France pays homage. The French community of expatriates and local spontaneously gather to light candles at the bottom of the obelisk. The atmosphere is heavy and moving but, being abroad, it seems important to show support even if words are missing.